Paul Finebaum: Jimbo Fisher's buyout will not be a factor if Texas A&M is mediocre again
Paul Finebaum won’t be surprised if a fresh face takes over Texas A&M in the near future. Fans are furious with head coach Jimbo Fisher after the Aggies fell 48-33 to an unranked Miami squad on Saturday. Finebaum believes it won’t take much more disappointment for the tides to shift in College Station.
“Jimbo Fisher, on the way home, had to be sick to his stomach realizing what [the loss] means to him because it adds significant pressure now,” Finebaum said on “The Matt Barrie Show.” “I mean every conversation about Jimbo Fisher — I feel like we’re on Wall Street on Jim Cramer’s report.
“You have to talk about money. And at some point, A&M officials have to look and go, ‘Oh, are we going to let $75 million affect the progress of this program?'”
A buyout won’t be easy. Texas A&M initially hired Fisher in December 2017 on a 10-year, $75 million contract. The relationship blossomed early with Fisher leading A&M to a 26-10 record in his first three seasons in the driver’s seat.
After Fisher and Co. a 9-1 mark and nearly made the College Football Playoff, Texas A&M rewarded the coach with a 10-year, fully guaranteed contract extension worth $94.95 million on Sept. 1, 2021. Since the extension, Fisher has led the Aggies to a mediocre 14-12 record.
People in College Station are tired of losing and Finebaum can’t blame them.
“At the end of the season, if A&M is looking at a mediocre record, that $75 million will not be a factor,” Finebaum said. “Presidents don’t make those decisions in places like Texas A&M. It’s the guys with the cowboy hats.
“I don’t think [Fisher] will be able to survive if they don’t reach a certain mark and it’s a little bit hard to tell on September 10 what that number is, but if they are losing games like this on a consistent basis, then he has no future.”
Barrie concurred with Finebaum’s diagnosis.
“They had the talent to win every game that they’re in,” Barrie said. “Whether or not they can, that remains to be seen over the next three months of the season. But Saturday [was] certainly not a vote of confidence if you’re thinking that A&M could have been a sleeper team in the SEC West.”
Fisher will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday against UL Monroe. The two programs will square off at 4 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.